Professor Muhammad Yunus, the head of interim government of Bangladesh, mooted his concept of an equitable world of 'zero carbon' at the inaugural session of the COP29 summit in the Azerbaijan capital, Baku, as a galaxy of global leaders gave him audience.
"I seek your indulgence to share with you my longstanding dream of creating a new world of three zeroes," the Chief Adviser told the audience, also comprising climate experts.
The Yunus-espoused vision states: 'Each young person will grow up as a three-zero person - zero net carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration, through building social businesses only, and zero unemployment by turning themselves into entrepreneurs'.
Each person will grow up as a three- zero person, and remain a three -zero person all his or her life. That will create the new civilisation, he said.
The Nobel laureate rings alarm that the climate crisis is intensifying and the civilisation is at a grave risk as everyone continues to promote "self-destructive values".
"We need to mobilise our intellectual, financial and youth power to lay the foundation for a new civilisation --- a self-preserving and self-reinforcing civilisation. We, the human inhabitants of this planet, are the cause of the destruction of the planet.
"We are doing it deliberately. We have chosen a lifestyle which works against the environment. We justify this with an economic framework which is considered as natural as the planetary system."
This economic framework thrives on limitless consumption, he pointed out what passes for hedonistic pursuit in the developed world in particular.
"The more you consume, the more you grow. The more you grow, the more money you make. Maximisation of profit is treated as the force of gravity which lets everything in the system play its role according to our desire."
He said that in order to survive the world needs to create another culture.
"A counter-culture which is based on a different lifestyle. It is based on zero waste. It will limit consumption to essential needs, leaving no residual waste".
This lifestyle will also be based on zero carbon, he noted.
"No fossil fuel. Only renewables. This will be an economy based primarily on zero personal profit, i.e. on social business. This business is defined as a non-dividend business addressed to solve social and environmental problems".
The Chief Adviser further explains that a vast part of social businesses will focus on protecting the environment and mankind.
"Human lives will not only be protected but qualitatively enhanced through affordable healthcare and education. It will facilitate entrepreneurship for the youth."
Explaining his vision he said, "Young people will get prepared through new education of entrepreneurship. Education of creating job-seekers will be replaced by entrepreneurship-focused education.
"Safety of environment needs a new lifestyle. That lifestyle would not be imposed, it will be a choice. Young people love that lifestyle as a choice."
Dr Yunus hopes this can be done and all 'we need do is accept a new life-style consistent with the safety of the planet and all who live on it'.
He said today's generation of youth would do the rest. They love their planet.
" I hope you'll join me in this dream. If we dream together, it will happen," he said in his address to the global summit on climate.
Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Professor Yunus passed a busy day at the opening day of the COP29 global climate-change summit in the Azerbaijan capital.
The Bangladesh interim leader and 2006 Nobel Peace laureate met at least 20 top leaders of countries across the globe and heads of international agencies exchanging views on current affairs on the sidelines of the climate meet.
The Chief Adviser met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and the Turkish First Lady at the summit of the world leaders at the COP29 venue.
President Erdo?an invited him to visit Turkey. He assured Bangladesh of all possible help in its journey to carry out deep reforms and build a prosperous country.
Professor Yunus invited the Turkish first couple to visit Bangladesh soon.
The Chief Adviser also met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahiyan. He thanked the UAE president for releasing 57 Bangladeshi nationals who were imprisoned for staging protests in solidarity with the students in July uprising.
Professor Yunus met and greeted Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mohamed Muizzu, President of the Maldives; Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan, and Ramchandra Paudel, President of Nepal.
Professor Yunus has been calling for the revival of the SAARC as a top platform for South Asia's eight countries. SAARC revival will be a key cornerstone of his foreign policy, he earlier said.
Among others, he met the Prime Minister of Belgium, the President of Ghana, the Prime Minister of Bosnia Herzegovina, President of Rwanda, Prime Minister of Albania, President of Montenegro, Prime Minister of Barbados, Vice Presidents of Brazil and Iran, President of FiFA, and the Director- General of IOM.
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